[0:00] With the Lord's help this evening I want to raise your attention to the chapter that we read, the first epistle of Peter chapter 2 and the first clause in verse 7.
[0:14] The first epistle of Peter chapter 2, the first clause in verse 7. And to you therefore which believe, he is precious.
[0:30] And to you therefore which believe, he is precious. Even in those remarkable days when the New Testament church was being formed, there were false believers.
[0:53] There were those that, though they appeared to be fair with the rest, yet sadly they fell away.
[1:06] And all because of the importance of the words before us this evening, Christ was not precious to them.
[1:18] Now this is the testing stone as to whether we are true believers. This will underwrite all that we say in our profession, and also all that we do.
[1:46] And to you therefore which believe, he is precious. John Newton has the well-known words, what thinking of Christ is the test, to try both your state and your scheme.
[2:03] You cannot be right in the rest unless you think rightly of him. Now the apostle in these two epistles mentions this word precious, I think on five or six or seven occasions.
[2:27] It is not a word that comes into our vocabulary every day. Not even, shall I say, into our spiritual conversation.
[2:40] But certainly there are times when Jesus Christ is precious.
[2:53] He is precious because of that which is mentioned in the earlier part of the verse, of the chapter. Wherefore laying aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envies and all evil speakings, as newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may know them grow thereby, you shall be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
[3:27] Where shall we find anyone to be gracious, as the Lord is gracious to us in our own soul's experience? With regard to the very best of creatures, even with regard to those that fear God, there are sometimes revealed limitations.
[3:55] And they feel that they have come to a point where their graciousness flees from them. when Peter raised this question with his master, if my brother said against me seven times, how often shall I forgive him?
[4:18] Seven times. And the Lord says seventy times seven. Repeat it again and again.
[4:29] now the Lord is gracious, the only one that is gracious to that extent. It can be said that we may confess our fault or our mistake or our weakness one to another and we are readily forgiven.
[5:00] But let that continue over ten times. And the patience of most will almost fade away.
[5:14] Especially if you have said you're sorry and then do the same thing again. the forgiveness of the Lord is infinite.
[5:30] And that infinite forgiveness is centered in the Lord Jesus Christ himself. So then is it our deep concern this evening to have the assurance from God that our sins are all forgiven.
[5:52] It will not, it will require something more than the mere utterance from men's lips. We need to guard against deceivers which go into the world and try to deceive people into thinking that God has loved them and that God has forgiven them.
[6:20] Some have looked at things in just a matter of the letter of it and have said the scripture says if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
[6:43] And I confess my sins every day and therefore I presume that God forgives my sins.
[6:56] That is dangerous ground. Where there is life in our soul we shall want God to speak. and God did speak.
[7:08] The Lord Jesus did speak. Son my sins which are many are all forgiven. And he still speaks today.
[7:24] Daughter go in peace my faith has saved be. And if by the reaction in our soul we feel that God has spoken that our sins are washed away and they're washed away by the only person that could wash them away we should be able to concur with the apostle here and say unto you therefore which believe he is precious he is precious.
[8:12] We need to consider these three words he is precious because if he is not precious then you may well examine yourselves because there is something lacking.
[8:34] One thing thou lackest will be a wonderful word to you and me. If we have looked at the law and in our hearts have felt that we've kept these things from our youth up which we can do and the person that is so wonderful in our eyes will be ourselves.
[9:03] But Jesus Christ is not precious. Jesus Christ he doesn't mean anything at all. One thing thou lackest. We would not wish to reject because we could not with accuracy upon how far people can go in religion and yet be lost in the end.
[9:29] When they come to the gate of heaven and you will hear that solemn word depart from me. I never knew you. But there is one thing that is certain.
[9:43] that if ever our souls are brought into the word here that he is precious then it is because you are precious to Christ.
[10:03] And if you are precious to Christ it is because you are so precious that he was willing to lay down his life for you.
[10:20] Believers according to the scriptures have the witness in themselves. He that believeth have the witness in himself. And therefore if we have the witness in ourselves about this important point he that is Jesus Christ is precious it may be that Satan will come in at times like a flood and endeavor to overthrow all our humble confidence and sweet feelings.
[11:04] but there is a witness and the spirit beareth witness with our spirits that we are the children of God.
[11:17] And in the presence of two or three witnesses every word is established. Salvation is of the Lord and is centered in the Lord Jesus Christ.
[11:34] because Jesus undertook to save rebellious man. It is true that the Father God the Father chose a people but he gave them to his Son to redeem.
[11:57] And if there was no redemption then there could be no possibility of our entering heaven at last.
[12:12] If the Lord Jesus is precious to us this side of the grave we could be sure that we should be in happy company amongst the souls that gather around the throne of God in heaven all of whom are not only witnesses outwardly but witnesses inwardly that he is the altogether lovely and will keep us among ten thousand.
[12:46] we may ask ourselves the question as to why he is precious sometimes I think it is good for us to so to speak present to our minds a hypothetical situation that is if I was to make this confession that I'm amongst those who believe that he is precious to imagine someone asking you to enlarge upon it it's one thing to make a statement it's another thing to support that statement but it is important to support that statement if we're going to be of use or benefit to others under
[13:55] God so may the Lord help us for a little while to consider why this is true why he is precious and then we may consider when he is precious well now first of all the reason for Jesus being precious to believers is because their hope hangs upon him they have no other hope on obtaining salvation and therefore whatever the article whoever the person is should such be the only one in the world that could deal with our case then that one would be precious and that one is the
[15:11] Lord Jesus Christ so then the first point as to why we believe you believe I believe let us answer personally let us not simply answer in a congregational way unto you therefore which believe and I believe because he is precious and the reason why he is precious at least in this first in the first place is that he is the only one that can save me from going down into the pit there are those that are satisfied with their own attainments they think that they will be able to stand in their own righteousness and therefore they have no need to depend upon Christ for their salvation but the spirit of
[16:18] God brings us to the point where we see that all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags and when this is so we shall be overwhelmed what shall I do or will flee to escape the justice due to me perhaps yesterday we were not amongst those that felt how precious Christ was because we were trusting and is because we were trusting in our own righteousness or it may be that we felt that Christ yes he was precious only because we were a little short in our own endeavours
[17:20] John Newton describes the son and he will be much more explicit than I could be he describes some some called him a saviour in word but mix their own works with his plan and hope he his help will afford when they have done all that they can if doings prove rather too light and little they own they may fail they purpose to make up full weight by casting his name in the scale now such cannot be included in the number here of believers to whom Jesus Christ is precious we must surely look at the word he is precious in its completeness he is not partly precious because he will make up where
[18:36] I failed no he is fully precious undoubtedly he was precious to this good man who leaves us in no doubt when he says if asked what of Jesus I think though still my best thoughts are but poor I say eat my meat and my drink and that's why he's precious my life and that's why he's precious and my strength and my store my shepherd my husband my friend my savior from sin and from thrall my hope from beginning to end my portion my lord and my all what a good thing if
[19:38] God should favor us with like precious faith and total dependence upon the Lord Jesus Christ as our hope salvation the hope of the people of God is one that holds us which hope we have as an anchor of the soul some people's hope is very shaky and when they utter the words I hope so you can almost feel that there's more doubt in it than faith but that's not the hope of the scripture that's not the hope that will bring you to this point to be a believer where in Christ is precious so then is that why he is precious to you because you have nothing of your own everything you put up
[20:56] God has knocked down all your good works have been under the close inspection of God and instead of being pure spot by spot they've been discovered as being most impure my best is died and stained with sin my all is nothing but and that's why the Lord Jesus is precious but then why should he be precious because all these so called false spiritual activities are rotten at the core and don't we work very hard and done our utmost to make a profession to make a
[21:59] God regard an impression upon make God make an impression upon God suddenly we see that we have utterly failed is there anyone that can make an impression upon God you know the fallacies and the scribes and such like they did all they could to make an impression upon God some thought that by their much speaking and their long prayers that God would hear them and yet we find that in the scriptures some of the shortest prayers were most effective with God what about your experience have you succeeded in making up from a profession an impression upon God by long prayers or even repeated prayers prayers we may indeed pray but do the wishes of our hearts go with the words we say sometimes we may be searched out by the scripture which says the bear of the wicked is an abomination to the
[23:34] Lord and if we could be confronted with that solemn truth is there one who will stand and pray whose prayer cannot be an abomination yes there is the Lord Jesus Christ you remember the witness we have from the scripture concerning Peter and the Lord knew what Peter would do he says Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not now we shall be assured of this that Satan never sends us a warning message nobody should be on their guard the
[24:43] Lord gave Peter a warning message well to the attitude of his heart was this he didn't believe it and in consequence as you doubtless know he went on and was involved in a very sad fall but it was a fall not to be recommended but it was a fall in Peter's case that made him realize how precious the lover the Christ was in his everlasting love so unto you therefore which believe he is precious because can we say that we have gone through life without any faults without any things of which we have been ashamed that we have blessed
[25:50] God that by his great mercy he has covered a multitude of sins not to wink the eye at them but he has covered them by his own method the blood of Christ and so therefore the blood of Christ becomes precious and because it is the blood of Christ then Christ himself will become precious because there is no other blood that can cleanse our sins away there was there is no other blood there is no other method by which the handwriting that was against us could be taken away and blotted out except by the cross of Jesus
[26:50] Christ now if we should be favoured to stand at the foot of the cross and especially if we should be favoured to hear those glorious words father forgive them for they know not what they do and the spirit of God seals that in your heart this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased my beloved son who is standing in your low place instead my beloved son who is willing to die that you fellow sinners might live for life they could not take away how willing was Jesus to give and as we may by the spirit of God part of these things is it a time when to believers the
[27:59] Lord Jesus is precious when well when at the end of all things when stripped of all our fancied meekness to approach the great I am we are led to see all fitness in the bleeding lamb and Christ is precious then it is a good thing if we can narrate one or two occasions or more or many when Jesus Christ was precious when there are occasions in the new testament scriptures as well as in the old testament when the
[29:01] Lord Jesus Christ was particularly precious precious indeed when his precious blood was applied but just let us think for a moment of the occasion when the Lord was with them in the boat a great tempest arose and the water began to come into the ship and there was fear of it sinking and the Lord Jesus was in the ship but he was asleep was he not precious and now well the disciples faith was greatly tested when they said master carest thou not that we perish so was he still precious even in this moment they could only look to one place for deliverance from a watery grave even at bedtime master carest thou not that we perish sometimes we may give voice to certain expressions we do not recognize in those expressions the faith that is in our hearts which is complimenting what we have here unto you therefore which believe is precious now you will recall
[30:43] I'm sure that their disciples felt that they were in jeopardy they felt that they needed the power of the son of God if they were to be saved have you had some situations in your life not necessarily in a boat on a sea on the sea but you may have known spiritually some tempestuous scenes in your soul and Christ was precious because you made your appeal to him they may have been a strange way care is there not that we perish could they really believe that he didn't care casting all your care upon him for he cared for you have we discovered the preciousness of the
[31:45] Lord to our souls when our lives have been precious in his sight and the Lord Jesus stood up and he said to the wind and the waves he said peace peace to him and there was a great calm and the disciples said who is this that to whom the wind and the waves are by him well we can have the experience literally we can also have the experience spiritually that is in our souls in our hearts unto you therefore which believe he is precious one and only one that can speak and say peace now this word peace is important and perhaps it's more important than you may think in the word of
[33:00] God we read there is no peace saith my God to the wicked so then how much value we must place upon the experience of a moment's peace peace because if we have a moment real peace and a peace which nobody can take away from us then we've got an evidence that we're not amongst the wicked after all that the Lord has been gracious to us and given us the evidence or being amongst the children of God they know the peace of God that peace in the scriptures is described as the peace of God which is beyond our understanding and when it is received and there is nothing added to it in whatever other field peace may be spoken of we shall invariably find some snack whatever your soul is troubled with your sin so that your peace is continually being invaded and just when you think you've got it then
[34:37] Satan comes in and says there's no peace to the wicked you'll never have peace so how does he come about and when does he come about that believers find that Christ Jesus is precious well these points are linked together and why and when and how and says the land like the two debtors who had nothing to pay then they had peace because the Lord frankly forgave them both it it is in our natural make-up to be independent and we'd rather work all the hours that are sent to pay a debt than to receive a word that that debt is cleared now we should be aware of this that it's not written off nevertheless it's cleared it's cleared because someone else has paid the debt paid is the mighty debt they owe salvation is of grace so who paid it ah this is the reason why
[36:16] Christ is precious the believers because their debt is paid but shall we find any peace until that wonderful intervention of the almighty God has taken place until we know that it has taken place and therefore it is a time of blessing to believers when Christ is made precious and is precious because he has paid the debt paid the debt peace by his cross has Jesus made the church's everlasting head diminishes bear� segment has been lively. Is there anyone that can stand this time of unbelief and the success of our enemies? Yes, there is one. Thus hitherto shall they come, and no further, and here shall your proud ways be stayed.
[37:48] And there is a great calm. And when there is a great calm, unto you therefore which believe he is precious, because he has stood in the dying traitor's place.
[38:05] Substitution was something that Abraham and Isaac learned on the mounting of Amariah. Substitution.
[38:19] It is possible for substitutes to be put in place sometimes under certain conditions.
[38:33] But they are not always suitable substitutes. But Jesus is a suitable substitute, because he is a certain substitute.
[38:46] There will be no question of his failing. Therefore unto you which believe, he is precious, because he stood in the sinner's place.
[39:00] He died upon Calvary. He shed his blood upon Calvary. He spoke pardon from Calvary.
[39:12] He gave the witness of the extent of his salvation in regard to the thief that was saved on Calvary. Have you come by the leading of the Spirit to Calvary?
[39:28] Have you come and you listen to these words? And you listen to these words, unto you therefore which believe, he is precious. And how precious is Jesus Christ when he stands in your place.
[39:45] When he says, I'll bear the punishment instead. Do you think you're going to go on your highway in much glee and say, well, I'm so glad that's happened.
[39:58] The fact that the Lord himself should condescend to come down and stand in your place to bear the love of God, having some little understanding of what it all means, here is one that is willing, willing and ready to die.
[40:22] He is one that is willing to suffer. But I might go free. And he is precious. Because there's no one else, there's no one else that could engage in this kind of action.
[40:39] there's no one else, there's no one else, could speak these words. With authority. With authority.
[40:53] unto you, therefore, which believe, he is precious. So then, when is it that Christ will be precious when he speaks to you and speaks with all authority?
[41:14] Speaks with authority to Satan, let this man go, let this woman go, let this child go. speaks with authority at the right hand of his father.
[41:29] As he presents your case before God, I have died for this sinner. And it is accepted. Precious are the words, I think it is of Paul, accepted in the beloved.
[41:47] True Christian experience will surely certainly have occasions where deep humility is our experience.
[42:00] We shall feel unworthy. We shall not go boasting about it. You know, sometimes people speak about how unworthy they are.
[42:15] They are. Well, it may be true. But, it can be a case of false modesty. But it can never be false modesty if you're speaking to God.
[42:33] You can tell him that you're unworthy as many times as you like. And it will still be true. And you won't be making an impression upon anybody else.
[42:45] You won't be making an impression upon God either. But you will not be wanting that. You will be ready and willing to say, Lord, I am unworthy.
[42:57] Said the centurion, I'm not worthy that there you should come under my roof. But speak the word only. And my servant shall be healed. Is there something in your life at the moment that you need God to do?
[43:12] But you can't really invite him into your house because you feel that you're so unworthy. Now the Lord looked at that man.
[43:25] He was a man in authority. He was a man that could say to one, do this, and he did it. To another, do that, and he did it. And so on.
[43:36] And the Lord said, I've not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. A man that could command things. Now it might be that in certain circumstances, now we are in a position to command things.
[43:56] But then, we come to something that we cannot command. We cannot command God to wash away our sins.
[44:09] We cannot command God to have mercy upon us. But we can come to God as a blind man did. Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy upon me.
[44:25] And the Lord stood still. Oh, the precious standing still that was. Unto you, therefore, which believe, he is precious, because I remember when he stood still, and he was precious to me, a poor blind creature of a day, needing my eyes to be opened.
[44:52] And he heard my cry for mercy because it was put into my heart by him. And he stood still. when, oh, that was an occasion, surely with a blind man, blind Bartimaeus, when, Jesus was precious.
[45:14] And it would be a wonderful thing for you, if your soul experience seems to be this. Not only seems to be, but actually is, that the Lord stood still, and called you, to his, his, his feet, and then asked you what you wanted, to think, that he should ask you a question, which made the way clear, for you to present your request, unto you, therefore, which believe he is precious, and he will be.
[45:56] so, he is precious, and we've given the reason why, he is precious, and, we've given the reason when, and when, that coincides with, why he is precious, and, how he is precious, because he is able to do exceeding abundantly, above all, that we ask or think, or exceeding abundantly, how restricted, is our sight, concerning God's ability, but how wonderful, when, the Lord suddenly gives us a glimpse, of the extent of his grace, for what he is able to do, he saw me ruined in the fall, yet loved me not withstanding all, he saves me from my lost estate, his loving kindness, oh, how great, unto you, will this include you, who are richfully, he is precious, precious in life, precious in death, precious in health, precious in sickness, precious in the light, but no less precious in the darkness, may we feel a few of these things, by the spirit of
[47:39] God, as a real experience in our souls, us, so that we may say, yes, I am identified with these people, but to whom Peter refers, unto you therefore, which believe, he is precious.
[47:58] We leave the subject, which is a very large one, that may the few things that we have said before you, grow, as the spirit of God causes them to grow, in your souls, considerations.
[48:14] Amen.